Diet Plans: 6 Reasons Why 95% Of Them Fail

How many times have you gone on a diet, only to give up because of hunger and frustration before your goals were met? Chances are, you’ve done this a few times and you’ve known plenty of friends who’ve been there too. That’s because diet plans set you up for failure.

95% of diet plans simply do not work. Let’s take a look at how to attain the most coveted goal of all dieters: long-term weight loss that leaves you healthier and happier for the many years to come.

First, the reasons why most diet plans fail:

Reason 1: Diet plans are temporary.

A diet is a temporary solution to a long-term problem. Dieters often find themselves thinking in the short-term. “If I can just get to my goal weight,” they tell themselves, “I’ll be able to eat my favorite foods again!”

That’s exactly the thought process that leads to failure because returning to old habits leads to regained pounds. If you want lasting weight loss, stop dieting and make some permanent lifestyle changes you can comfortably live with.

Reason 2: Diet is only one half of the weight-loss equation.

Trying to lose weight through diet alone is like trying to swim using only one arm. Can it be done? Yes. Is it
difficult? Of course!

Exercise should be a part of your healthy weight-loss plan. Without it, you’ll experience very slow weight loss, or you’ll have to cut so many calories that you’ll end up feeling hungry and deprived. And that brings us to…

Reason 3: Diet plans are not satisfying.

Some diet plans require you to eat low-calorie foods that contain very little fat. Others require you to eat very small quantities of food for weeks on end. Sometimes you can eat as much as you want as long as you get plenty of protein but drastically cut your carbohydrate consumption.

None of these diets will satisfy you for very long. The healthiest and happiest eating plans are those that contain a mixture of lean protein, heart-healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.

Add plenty of fiber and water, and your body will be more satisfied with the fuel you put in it.

Reason 4: Diets can be expensive.

The expense of special bars, shakes and supplements is pretty appalling, not to mention unnecessary. Diet plans that require you to buy pre-packaged meals are the most expensive of all, and they often contain additives that can sabotage your success.

Don’t waste your money on special foods. Get your nutrition through whole, natural foods that you can cook for yourself. Your budget – and your waistline – will be thinner as a result.

Reason 5: Diets don’t easily fit into a normal lifestyle.

Have you ever watched your friends and family eat normally while you had to settle for a liquid or prepackaged meal? Do you spend an inordinate amount of time trimming, weighing and measuring your food while everyone else digs in?

It’s hard to feel like one of the crowd when you’re following an inconvenient diet. That’s another reason why so many dieters give up in despair and frustration.

Your lifestyle is an important consideration. Don’t choose an eating plan that requires a radical departure from the norm.

Reason 6: Too much dieting can cause weight gain.

When you go on a diet, your body reacts by squeezing every bit of nourishment from the foods you do eat. After the diet ends, your body still processes food with increased efficiency, causing you to pack on the pounds even though you’re eating normally.

This is a survival mechanism that helped our ancestors stay alive in times of famine. Diets are the new famine, and they can actually leave you weighing more than you did before you tried to cut back!

How to Succeed

For weight loss to be safe and permanent, it needs to come as the result of a lifestyle change. Find a healthy eating plan you can stick with for the rest of your life. Add a reasonable amount of exercise. Make small changes one at a time so you don’t overload your self-control with demands.

With those bases covered, you’re free to live your life without constantly worrying about your diet. The weight you lose will stay gone, and you will enjoy greater health and happiness.

You can also improve your chances of burning fat and maintaining a healthy weight by exercising the “right” way. Quit spending countless hours of hours on the treadmill or stair climber, and start sending your fitness through the roof by interval training: